Saide Current Awareness
15 October 2024

 

Distance Education

  • Perceived Learning Barriers Using Remote Learning in Rural Schools: A Narrative Inquiry Source: Proquest African American/Black, Hispanic, and biracial students living in rural low-income households without technological devices or high-speed internet may experience instruction barriers, resulting in losing access to educational resources in rural California schools. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to gain a deeper understanding of stories told about minority students’ and policymakers’ perceptions a lack of high-speed internet connectivity and broadband accessibility in homes posed an instruction barrier.
  • Toward a Theory of Sense of Place in Online Teaching and Learning Source: ProQuest Place-based educators recognize the importance of place in shaping learning, as our sense of place serves as a lens through which we interpret our experiences. Despite the growing prevalence of online environments in education, their impact on our sense of place remains largely unexplored. This case study employed critical case sampling to explore how graduate students in an online place-based program developed their sense of place in their online learning environment and its influence on their behavior. Using grounded theory and constant comparative analysis of surveys, interviews, documents, and observations, two overarching themes emerged. The first theme, “Building a Web of Connectivity,” illustrates the process through which participants developed their sense of place in the online learning environment. Central to this theme are six nodes: Finding Oneself in the Curriculum, Connecting with Culture, Building Pilina, Fostering Safety, Building Awareness, and Enacting Agency. Metaphorically functioning akin to a mesh network topology, each node represents a critical activity that students engaged in to create multiple points of connectivity between people and place. The second theme, “Robust Webs for Engaged Learning,” highlights how students exhibiting more nodes demonstrated increased engagement in the online learning environment. These findings offer valuable insights for educators and instructional designers, providing practical guidance on fostering meaningful and engaging learning experiences in online learning environments by utilizing the six nodes.
  • How ‘Open’ is Distance Higher Education for Students with Disabilities? A Literature Review Source: Futurity Education This paper is divided into four sections, where accessibility in Open and Distance Higher Education is analyzed in relation to Students with Disabilities (SwD) more broadly, concluding in the last section by discussing Open and Distance Higher Education and SwD in Greece. The existing literature and related research are very limited. The findings show that Distance Education offers significant opportunities for inclusive education, mainly due to the flexibility it provides. For students with mobility disabilities, Distance Higher Education offers the possibility of education without geographical limitations, especially when physical presence is impossible due to a lack of appropriate accessible building infrastructure.
  • Africans Are Flocking To This Online University Source: BlackStar News When hedge fund billionaire Igor Tulchinsky came up with the idea for WorldQuant University, he had no idea more than a third of its student body would be African just nine years after opening its doors. The distance learning college, which is recognized by the US-based Distance Education Accrediting Commission, focuses on data sciences, leveraging technology and emerging online learning tools, to disrupt education. But the catch was that he wanted to do this for free, and he seems to have achieved that so far. Some 11,000 students from more than 150 countries have been enrolled since 2015.

Education: South Africa

  • Education Minister says BELA Act implementation discussions underway Source: ENCA While providing updates on the Bela Act and its implementation, Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, addressed concerns about her support for the legislation. Gwarube snubbed September's signing of the bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. She says she will implement the bill, and its operational aspects are now being discussed.
  • Umalusi finds “some weaknesses” ahead of 2024 matric exams Source: Hypertext Umalusi, the country’s qualifications and education quality assurance body, says that all systems are ready ahead of the 2024 matric exams. It says that while some weaknesses of the educational system have been identified, these will likely be corrected before exams begins. The 2024 matric exams begin on 21st October 2024.
  • Financial literacy should be taught throughout a child’s school life Source: Mail and Guardian Within just one week of implementing the two-pot retirement system, which allows citizens to withdraw up to R30,000 from their retirement savings, R4 billion had been withdrawn, reflecting a worrying lack of basic financial understanding required to make informed decisions about their future. This underscores the country’s pressing need for financial education.
  • Compulsory grade R: A step forward for South Africa’s future Source: TimesLive In a landmark move that could transform South Africa’s educational landscape, President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared grade R compulsory for all children. This decision marks a significant shift in the country’s approach to early childhood education, recognising that the foundation laid in these formative years is critical to a child's future success.
  • Public Servants Association calls for urgent summit to evaluate state of KZN education sector Source: EWN Over 11,000 teachers in the province are at risk of losing their jobs due to Treasury’s budget reductions.
  • University of Pretoria reinstates lecturer accused of racial discrimination Source: IOL The University of Pretoria has stood by its decision to reinstate a lecturer accused of organising separate lectures for white and black students. In April last year, one of the students at the University of Pretoria’s Society, the Economic Freedom Fighters Students Command (EFFSC) opened a case of racism and discrimination at the Transformation Office, against Martin Pienaar, who is a Lecturer at the Mamelodi campus.
  • Top 10 High Schools in Johannesburg and How Much They Cost Source: Gauteng.Net When it comes to quality education, Johannesburg is home to some of the best high schools in South Africa. These schools offer excellent academic programs, extracurricular activities, and state-of-the-art facilities, but they come at a cost. Whether you’re a local resident or an expat looking for a prestigious school for your child, knowing the top high schools and their associated fees is crucial.
  • Unveiling Barriers: Challenges to Access High-Quality Education in South African Music Schools for Underprivileged and Marginalised Communities Source: E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (EHASS) South Africa’s music education landscape stands at the intersection of historical legacies, socio-economic disparities, and cultural intricacies, posing formidable challenges for underprivileged and marginalised communities. Despite strides made since the post-apartheid era, high-quality music education remains an elusive pursuit for many aspiring musicians. This study used a qualitative approach to explore and dissect the multifaceted challenges that hinder access to quality education within South African music schools. Adopting a descriptive phenomenological research design, this investigation involved ten music lecturers from diverse universities using the snowball sampling procedure. The interviews conducted using Microsoft Team, Zoom, and Google Team served as the primary means of data collection. Colaizzi’s phenomenological data analysis technique was applied to distil rich insights from the participants’ narratives, offering an in-depth exploration of their experiences and perceptions. The study unravels four overarching themes, each shedding light on critical aspects of the challenges faced by underprivileged and marginalised communities in South African music education. These themes include the music lecturers’ perspectives on inclusivity and diversity in the music education curriculum, the challenges encountered by students from underprivileged backgrounds, the socio-economic impact on student engagement, and the role of cultural representation in creating an enriching educational environment.
  • Seven new STEM teaching and learning centres open at primary and high schools in the Western Cape Source: Mail & Guardian The partnership between Garden Cities Archway Foundation (GCAF), the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) and Advancing Knowledge Non-Profit Company (AK NPC) recently produced seven newly constructed Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Teaching and Learning Centres (STEM TLCs) bringing the total of laboratories constructed at Western Cape schools to 114.

Language, Literacies, Research Writing and Publishing

  • Publishing Futures: A study of the publishing landscapes in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe Source: British Council This report is an in-depth study of the trade publishing and literature sectors in the following Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. It offers market insights into the sectors in each country, with a particular focus on recent developments and the creative individuals working within these fields.
  • Multilingualism in education is our strength Source:IOL The BELA Bill essentially gives the government complete oversight and ultimate authority over the official school language and admission policies.
  • SA celebs champion 'Turn On The Subtitles' campaign to boost child literacy Source: IOL South African stars Connie Ferguson, Bryan Habana, Proverb, Graeme Smith, Thobile Khumalo and Ntando Kunene have teamed up to support Turn On The Subtitles (TOTS), a global initiative aimed at transforming children’s literacy. Together, they are encouraging families across the country to take a small yet powerful step - turning on subtitles while their kids watch TV.
  • How to Think Like a Sociotechnical Researcher Source: DataSociety " At Data & Society, we do sociotechnical research. In its most basic terms, sociotechnical research argues that problems of technology are problems of society. As a senior researcher with Data & Society’s AI on the Ground team, where I research the impact of algorithmic systems, I approach sociotechnical research with four core assumptions:
    • First, there is no such thing as a purely technical system.
    • Second, every technical system is designed with a particular perspective and a vision to transform society — but this transformation does not happen equally for everyone. So, paying attention to the differences in people’s experiences with technical systems — and where they lead — is crucial for sociotechnical research.
    • Third, every technical system represents a set of choices — choices that we make when we build it, and choices we make when we use it. Sociotechnical research is focused on the nature of these choices, why we make them, and at whose expense.
    • And finally, fourth: The relationship between technology and society is a two way street; they mutually shape each other."

Open Access, Open Education and Open Educational Resources

  • Review of Laura Czerniewicz and Catherine Cronin (Eds.). (2023). Higher Education for Good: Teaching and Learning Futures Source: Postdigital Science and Education Helen Beetham's writes of her review: "It is in a small way a history of #openeducation, traced through the pages of the book and in three movements: decolonisation, democratisation and digitisation. The word 'post' can be attached to all of these, though in my view it is doing different work in each case. Here's the opener: 'HE4G has been more than a book. It has been a public event, a gathering, a diversely peopled conversation within and beyond its pages: the desperate throw of a lifeline or the hopeful throw of a dream, beyond the really existing universities of the present towards better alternatives.'
    Here's the close: 'HE4G proclaims itself an exercise in "hope" but it does just as much good, in my view, when it speaks of ruin. Every transformational movement needs to learn from its history, and if it is a history of defeats, we need it all the more urgently.'
  • Video recording and editing with free open source tools Source: Udemy Online Courses
  • What Would Truly Open AI Look Like? Source: Artisanal Intelligence Substack OpenAI Is not the answer. Some thoughts on the OpenAI Educator Forum by Liza Long who presented at the 2024 Open Education Conference and attended an OpenAI Educator’s Forum.She found OpenAI's focus on higher education and equity lacking.Further insights include that of OpenAI transitioning to a more for-profit model, with ambitious goals like creating technology that could make current AI use cases obsolete, including running businesses with minimal human involvement. Author also concerned about the gender gap in AI and the absence of women in prominent roles at the forum, despite women actively contributing to AI advancements.
  • Just In Time: Creating Dynamic Open Learning Resources Using GAI Source: Stephen Downes Youtube With the recent development of broadly effective generative artificial intelligence (GAI) this has led some to suggest that open learning resources can and should be developed at the time and point of need. The GAI could address each of the issues with SOLR by addressing it based on the learning need at the time of that need, as described by the specific prompt and the context of application. This presentation at the recent Open Education Conference, provides an overview of the technology required to support such an approach.

Post Schooling

  • The Future of the University put under the spotlight at the 3rd Higher Education Conference Source: USAF Universities have a significant impact on the advancement of society – shaping the education system; producing and honing skills and competencies needed for the economy; contributing to scientific discoveries, advancements and innovations and shaping the overall progress of society.Therefore, Professor Francis Petersen (left), Chairperson of Universities South Africa’s (USAf’s) Board and the University of Pretoria’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, told higher education sector leaders and stakeholders on Wednesday, 9 October, that universities are a nation’s compass for intellectual, technological, and social advancement.
  • Five crucial lessons learnt from the last 30 years in higher education Source: USAF Director: School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) of the University of London, in the United Kingdom, and former Wits University Vice-Chancellor,Prof Habib, delivers his keynote address in which he portends the "dark dystopian future' (that) awaits our children and grandchildren, if we do not heed the lessons from the past three decades. He was addressing Universities South Africa’s 3rd Higher Education Conference in Pretoria on Reflections on Post-Apartheid Higher Education: “Looking Back, Going Forward.”
  • South African universities need to make difficult decisions to sustain the system Source: USAF Delegates at the 3rd Higher Education Conference engaged robustly over all the topics presented at the event. We present below, an edited version of the debate that followed Professor Adam Habib’s keynote address. Read more on questions posed by Professor Francois Strydom (UFS) on the erosion of trsust betwen highere ducation and society, Professor Peter Mbati (Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University) on engaging with DHET leadership , Professor Thandwa Mthembu on the funding for HBU's and many more other questions.
  • University councils need an overhaul if they are to perform their fiduciary functions effectively Source: USAF “I am concerned that governance challenges continue to plague some universities, and there is a need for both a code of good governance practices and minimum qualifications criteria for anyone who wishes to serve on university councils. In this regard, going forward, all ministerial council appointees will necessarily need to have a PhD.” These words from Dr Clarence Tshitereke, Senior Special Adviser to Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, drew hearty applause from senior university leadership including Vice-Chancellors, their deputies, researchers and stakeholders gathered at Universities South Africa’s 3rd Higher Education Conference in Pretoria this week.
  • Teaching and Learning conference highlights universities as change agents Source: NMU Delegates from 15 countries across five continents honed in on how universities can help make the world a better place at this month’s International Higher Education Teaching and Learning (HETL) Association Conference in Gqeberha.The association’s conference is an annual gathering of professionals and thought leaders from around the world to dialogue, network and collaborate on issues relevant to teaching and learning in higher education.

Skills and Employment

  • Skills development an urgent priority to address SA’s challenges Source: Inside Education Sibanye-Stillwater has underscored the urgent need for the country to prioritise skills development as a cornerstone for economic growth. The company’s stakeholder relations executive vice president Thabisile Phumo highlighted the stark contrast between South Africa and countries like China, where vocational training was often seen as a first choice rather than a fallback option. She was speaking at the Skills Development Dialogue under the theme: “Reimagining Education for a Better Future”, hosted by Sibanye-Stillwater and Inside Education at the University of Johannesburg .
  • How DigiMine is building next generation of tech-savvy, socially aware mining engineers Source: Mining News As the global mining industry increasingly adopts technology, such as AI and automation, partnerships between academia and industry are poised to play a pivotal role in ensuring the continuous professional development of mining engineers. South Africa produces 200 to 250 mining engineering graduates yearly and Sibanye- Stillwater Digital Mining Laboratory (DigiMine) head Dr Muhammad Ahsan Mahboob says local mining engineering education is globally competitive and highly regarded in the industry.
  • New visa reforms could boost South Africa’s economy by 1.2% Source: Daily Maverick The gazetting of the remote work visitor visa and the new points-based system for work visas removes bureaucratic hurdles that have hampered SA’s visa regime and promises far-reaching positive outcomes for the economy.

Teaching and Learning: Local and Global

  • New book reignites Rick Turner’s radical democratic ideas and legacy Source: Mail and Guardian A new book revisits the ideas of Rick Turner, the philosopher assassinated at his home in Bellair, Durban, in 1978. It continues a process of restoring Turner to public consciousness. Turner was a gifted, serious and well-trained academic. He studied at the Sorbonne in Paris where he wrote his thesis on Jean-Paul Sartre, the great philosopher of freedom, under the abundantly creative French intellectual Henri Lefebvre.
  • Happiness class is helping clinically depressed school teachers become emotionally healthy − with a cheery assist from Aristotle Source: The Conversation Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.This post is about the course called Evidence-Based Happiness for Teachers
  • Learning and Memory: Lesson Observation Source: SubStack Jonathen Firth's latest.He writes: Last time, I wrote in a bit of depth about the distinction between learning and performance. Hope you enjoyed the post! To briefly summarise, we can often mistake temporary improvements in performance, such as a student’s responses in class, for permanent learning. The latter is typically our real goal, but is harder to achieve and to demonstrate. Cognitive psychologists such as Soderstrom and Bjork (2015) have argued that something only counts as learning if it is retained over time, and can be used (or ‘transferred’).
  • Students and Self-Assessment: Is Accuracy Possible? Source: Faculty Focus "A new study in Active Learning in Higher Education (see reference below) motivated me to take another look at the research on student self-assessment. It’s decidedly mixed, which isn’t unexpected given the range of self-assessment tasks used in the research, not to mention cohort and methodological differences. In this most recent work students assessed an oral presentation they’d given using a rubric. Their peers and the teacher also evaluated it. These latter assessments tended to agree with each other, while self-assessments were higher than those of peers and the teacher. Male students rated their performances higher than female students did. Students with high teacher and peer evaluations made more accurate self-assessments than those who received low teacher and peer scores did."


Technology-Enhanced Learning

  • The Increasing Use Of AI In Education Source: Forbes AI is having a dramatic impact on education and learning at all levels, and across the board from early learning education to late in life continuing education. AI is making a significant impact not only for those who are learning, but those who are teaching and administering education. Indeed, one of the lasting impacts in this latest wave of AI interest is its impact on the way people learn and teach.
  • Educator's Digest: Curating the Best of LinkedIn (Week of October 15, 2024) Source: LinkedIn ilkem Kayican Dipcin shares her curation of the past weeks top posts from Linkedin.
    • Exploring Authorial Voice in the Age of AI Source: LinkedIn Nick Potkalitsky, PhD calls for deeper rhetorical analysis of AI-generated writing: Potkalitsky argues for moving beyond technical discussions of AI writing to examine its impact on authorship and communication. He raises questions about voice, persuasion, and audience interaction in AI-generated content, challenging us to consider who truly "speaks" when AI writes.
    • StackAI Source: LinkedIn. The no-code platform for AI applications,allows users to create internal AI tools without coding. Alex Wang describes the platform, developed by MIT PhDs, that offers solutions for automating support desks, auditing documents, and training employees. The platform promises to save up to 80% on AI development costs compared to in-house teams, while ensuring compliance with various regulations.
    • Is #AI physics? Is #AI chemistry? Source: LinkedIn. Virginia Dignum reflects on AI's interdisciplinary nature: Following the Nobel Prize in Physics being awarded for work related to AI, Dignum addresses questions about whether AI belongs to physics or other traditional disciplines. She emphasizes that AI's breakthroughs stem from interdisciplinary collaboration, acting as an accelerator for exploring complex societal challenges. Dignum highlights the importance of cooperative spirit and open-mindedness across various fields, suggesting that the Nobel Prize should be modernized to recognize progress beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.
  • Stakeholder Engagement for Responsible AI: Introducing PAI’s Guidelines for Participatory and Inclusive AI Source:PartnershipOnAI "While AI technology promises unprecedented capabilities it also presents significant risks and challenges to socially marginalized communities who have historically been excluded from the design and implementation of these transformative systems. While AI systems can make life and work easier, they can uphold and even exacerbate existing inequalities or harm marginalized groups and/or communities."
  • Social media as a teaching tool: South African teachers talk about the new reality Source: The Conversation UCT Information systems researchers describe their recent study which looks at the challenges secondary school teachers face when using social media applications like WhatsApp as a teaching tool. They include access to devices, internet connectivity, security, skills, school policies and useful application features.
  • People actually using AI: the latest from Gallup Source: AI, academia, and the Future Substack Bryan Alexanders recent updates looks at how people are using Ai and summarises the findings of the Gallup poll
  • How to think critically about the quest for Artificial General Intelligence Source: Cogntive Resonance Substack A revised piece of an earlier essay written in VNov 2023. The author writes: Are we on the verge of creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), an “an advanced version of AI that matches or surpasses human capabilities across a wide range of cognitive tasks”?[1] And if so, are we about to create a new form of digital sentience that will “revolutionize” our education systems?
  • Illuminate | Learn Your Way = Through Podcasts! Source: Laura Yost Substack A post describing the use of Googles Illuminate, an experimental technology that uses AI to adapt content to your learning preferences. Illuminate generates audio with two AI-generated voices in conversation, discussing the key points of select papers. Illuminate is currently optimized for published computer science academic papers.

 

 

 

 

 

A bibliography of open resources, selected for all working in digital education in South Africa, is curated by Universities South Africa’s Digital Education CoP. All the resources are freely available via https://bit.ly/Digital_Education_Open_Bibliography. CHECK REGULARLY FOR UPDATES.